October 19, 2023 — Asia Society Korea launches its 2023 season of Asia Society Korea Youth (ASK-Y) with the first session, COVID-19's Impact on Youth and Education: The E-Learning Shift and Digital Divide, featuring presentations delving into diverse viewpoints on e-learning and the digital divide, emphasizing the impact of these issues on young individuals. Jevon Dixon, doctoral candidate in international relations at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, moderated the program. (1 hr., 22 min.)

In the first presentation, Alissa Yanik-Woods, student of bachelor of law and international relations at Bond University, discusses the impact of a lack of education on mental health and future job prospects in the context of war.

This is followed by Edwyna Kurniawan, master’s candidate in development cooperation at Ewha University, whose presentation focuses on teachers’ rights as an essential element of a balanced and empowering education, inspired by the current discourse in South Korea, the UK, and Australia. 

In the third presentation, Ignacio Barroso Gómez, a recent graduate of international relations from Rey Juan Carlos University, looks at the strengths and weaknesses of e-learning approaches in the context of war and focuses on the mental health aspects of the topic. 

In the fourth presentation, François de Navacelle, a master’s candidate in economics at Yenching Academy of Peking University, digs deeper into the digital divide and its implications for education and mental health while introducing the relevance of colonial heritage in francophone Africa. 

Jevon Dixon then presents on strengthening capacity building through international cooperation to span the digital divide with a comparative look at case studies from developed and developing countries. 

In the sixth and final presentation, Zumaro Zumaro, a doctoral candidate in advanced nuclear engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology discusses the potential and challenges posed by e-learning in remote, electricity-scarce areas.